Crate



1. L ANZO.

CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3, 1922.

Patented 001:. 10, 1922.

Patented Get. 10, 1922.

JOSEPH LANZO, 0F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

CRATE.

Application filed June 8, 1922. Serial No. 565,524.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, JOSEPH LANZO, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Crates; and I do hereby declare that the following is a, full, clear, and exact description there of. 1

My invention refers to crates for milk bottles, or the like, and it has for its object to provide a simple, economical, and effective container, its construction and arrange ment'being such that it will stand the rough usage to which such containers are ordinarily subjected and the life of the same, owing to its peculiar arrangement and construction, is increased indefinitely.

A further object of the invention isto provide means whereby the crate, if broken, can readily be repaired.

Another object is to provide grid bars upon which the bottles rest, having cushion strips associated therewith, whereby the'bottles will not be liable to breakage.

With the aboveobjects in view, the invention consists in certain peculiarities of construction and combination of parts, as will be hereinafter set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 represents a plan view of the crate, with parts broken away and in section.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of the same, with parts in section, as indicated by line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the crate, with parts broken away and in section, as indicated in line 3-3 of Figure 1, and

Figure 1 is a detail cross section, illustrating details of construction with reference to the supporting elements for the crate bars.

Referring by characters to the drawings, 1l represent side panels, and 2-2 the end panels of the crate, the end panels being mortised and secured to the side panels by screws. The lower edges of the end panels are formed with a plurality of rectangular seats a for the reception of wood grid strips 83, which grid strips project below the I bottom edge of the end panels 2. The grid strips are held in place by transversely disposed cleats 4, which cleats are, also, formed with recesses matching the recesses of the panels 2.

The cleats are flush with the outer faces of the end panels, but are of such width that they project inwardly forming ledges 3 to serve as reinforcing elements to resist strain put upon the grid strips. The cleats are secured to the bottom edges of the end panels 2 by screws 5, certain of which screws enter the grid strips 3, whereby they are also confined. The ends of the grid strips abut the inner faces of the panels 2' and are secured by nails or screws 6 to the projecting ledge surfaces 3 of the cleats, which ledges form the supports for said grid bars, and said grid bars, as best shown in Figure 4:, are mortised out, as at as, to fit about the rectangular corner of the ledge 3.

The upper surface of the grid strips has suitably secured thereto cushion strips 7, which may be formed from rubber, or suitable yielding material for the support of the bottoms of the bottles contained in the crate. It is understood that the crate is provided with a plurality of metallic cross bars 8 and 9, respectively, which cross bars divide the crate into a plurality of individual skeleton frames for the reception of bottles, whereby the same are held against coming in contact with each other when the crate is in transit.

In practice, when these crates are used for milk bottles, or other beverage containers, it is the usual procedure to insert therein a series of containers and subject the contents thereof to a pasteurizing or sterilizing process. In so doing, the crates are caused to travel through a suitable heating apparatus and they are pushed or slid about upon their lower surfaces, whereby said lower surfaces soon become worn.

My invention contemplates overcoming the strain and wear upon the bottom of the crates by attaching to the side panels there of metallic runners 10. The lower edges of the side panels are approximately flush with the lower faces of the cleats 4, and owing to 100 the thickness of the metallic runner strips 10, said strips serve to space the wood parts of the crate from contact with the table or slide upon which they are supported. Hence all of the wear will come upon the runners.

fitted between the end faces 1 of the side panels and the juxtaposed inside faces 2 of the cleats. Hence, the cleats also firmly bind the ends of the runners and prevent the same from becoming loosened or disintegrated from the wood structure, where by they might bow out or otherwise form obstructing surfaces to prevent easy sliding of the crates in their functioning.

In order to further strengthen the grid strips, I provide one or more transverse, reinforcing metallic bars 12, which bars are riveted to the slde walls 1 and pass through the group of grid strips, whereby strain upon them is resisted, while at the same time a certain flexure will result when a load is placed upon said grid.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that a simple, economical, and effective crate is produced, which, owing to its stability, will resist the rough' usage to which these crates are put, and owing to the simplicity of construction, cheapness in manufacture will result.

While I have shown one exeniplification of my invention and described it minutely as to details, it is understood that I may vary the structural features within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim 1. A crate for bottles, or the like, having side panels and end panels, the lower edges of the end panels being provided with a series of rectangular seats, longitudinal wood grid strips fitted in the seats, cleats secured to th elower edges ofthe end panels having seats therein for matched fit with the ends of the grid strips, means for securing the cleats to the crate panels, and metallic runners secured to the lower edges of the crate side panels.

2. A crate for bottles, or the like, having side panels and end panels, the lower edges of the end panels being provided with a series of rectangular seats, longitudinal wood grid strips fitted in the seats, cl'eats secured to the lower edges of the end panels having seats therein for matched fit with the ends of the grid strips, means for securing the cleats to the crate panels, me tallic runners secured to the lower edges of the crate side panels, and cushion strips secured to the upper face of the grid strips.

3. A crate having wood side panels and end panels, the end panels being provided with a series of rectangularly notched seats, grid strips fitted in the seats, cleats secured to the end panels having rectangular seats for the reception of the ends of the grid strips, screws for securing the cleats and grid strips to the end panels, metallic runners secured to the lower edges of the side panels, the lower faces of which runners are below the plane of the crate bottom, the ends of the runners being bent upwardly for nested engagement between surfaces of the side panels and the end cleats, and metallic reinforcing bars secured to the side panels and passed through the grid strips intermediate of their ends.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of lVisconsin.

JOSEPH LANZO. 

